thanks to Firefox (which I recently starting using ... I know, I am slow) ... I now have the joy of the "STUMBLE" bottom ... which, I really do like ... seeing that it will follow my preferences pretty well ... and hasn't yet pulled up any crap ... so I am thinking it wont.
However, there are too many things out there, on the great new frontier ... the internet, too many things that cry loudly against anything Christian, against anything conservative ... there are too many things that slander the name of Christ ... be they a joke or otherwise.
this thought: prompted by recent clicks of the stumble feature
3.31.2009
3.30.2009
Is it a leaf? Or an insect that can eat your face off?
Its a "Leaf Insect" and its defense mechanism ... looking like a leaf! Crazy! God's always got really cool things to show me in nature!I have this plant collection for a class I am taking, and as I was browsing the web to try and find the ID of one of the plants ... I cam across the following picture:
the great truth behind HOSANNA
... the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road ... and the crowds that went before [Jesus] and that followed Him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Saturday I had the privileged to sit for nearly 4 hours and converse with a handful of friends about God! and it was not only challenging, but extremely refreshing and beneficial (as iron sharpens iron)
and we came at one point to discuss what the meaning of the praise proclamation and declaration "HOSANNA!!!" means? at college bible study, the previous wed night, we sang a song that proclaimed this phrase repeatedly ... and it made me think about it, as well as the others I was hanging out with on Saturday ... What does it mean?
and the meaning is amazing! I mean, if you are not urged to worship and to proclaim "HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA" ... I am not sure of much else that will provoke true praise ... cause this word is wondrous!
Hosanna is indeed a praise proclamation. like a statement of fact. the OT and NT meanings are slightly different, so I will focus on the NT meaning .. b/c that's the one that blew my mind. so, according to Thayer's Greek/English Lexicon (courtesy E-sword) & Strong's it means ...
Saturday I had the privileged to sit for nearly 4 hours and converse with a handful of friends about God! and it was not only challenging, but extremely refreshing and beneficial (as iron sharpens iron)
and we came at one point to discuss what the meaning of the praise proclamation and declaration "HOSANNA!!!" means? at college bible study, the previous wed night, we sang a song that proclaimed this phrase repeatedly ... and it made me think about it, as well as the others I was hanging out with on Saturday ... What does it mean?
and the meaning is amazing! I mean, if you are not urged to worship and to proclaim "HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA" ... I am not sure of much else that will provoke true praise ... cause this word is wondrous!
Hosanna is indeed a praise proclamation. like a statement of fact. the OT and NT meanings are slightly different, so I will focus on the NT meaning .. b/c that's the one that blew my mind. so, according to Thayer's Greek/English Lexicon (courtesy E-sword) & Strong's it means ...
BE PROPITIOUS
now, if you are anything like me (a simpleton) you may have never heard of this word ... but you will recognize it sounds a lot like propitiation ... that is the object of wrath that satisfies the righteous, zealous, and just anger and coming wrath of the holy God, LORD Almighty ... and you may recall:
[Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17) ...
[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2) ...
there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:23-26) ...
and so, when we call out to Jesus ... in praise ... HOSANNA .. we are calling on Jesus to be the One who acts as the propitiation on our behalf .... we call out, proclaiming, HOSANNA .... Jesus, be propitious on my behalf ... a vile, wicked sinner, full of lusts, evils, and unrighteousness ... be propitious and satisfy the wrath of God on my behalf, for I have nothing to offer! HOSANNA, HOSANNA in the highest!
and so, this is my parting ... back to my personal time with the LORD .... cause I am really excited about Jesus being my Hosanna!
now, if you are anything like me (a simpleton) you may have never heard of this word ... but you will recognize it sounds a lot like propitiation ... that is the object of wrath that satisfies the righteous, zealous, and just anger and coming wrath of the holy God, LORD Almighty ... and you may recall:
[Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17) ...
[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2) ...
there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:23-26) ...
and so, when we call out to Jesus ... in praise ... HOSANNA .. we are calling on Jesus to be the One who acts as the propitiation on our behalf .... we call out, proclaiming, HOSANNA .... Jesus, be propitious on my behalf ... a vile, wicked sinner, full of lusts, evils, and unrighteousness ... be propitious and satisfy the wrath of God on my behalf, for I have nothing to offer! HOSANNA, HOSANNA in the highest!
and so, this is my parting ... back to my personal time with the LORD .... cause I am really excited about Jesus being my Hosanna!
3.27.2009
Carolina Liar ...
Great song ... quickly becoming a favorite...
the bells is the background are unbelievable and the lyrics are solid ...
the bells is the background are unbelievable and the lyrics are solid ...
3.23.2009
Dealings with the Lord...
Israel, if ever there were one, was a nation that struggled greatly to follow the Lord, to obey his commands and precepts,even in light of His obvious manifestations to them, throughout the OT.
I am Israel. Judah is my name. Ephriam.
In Hosea 5:7, the Lord calls out Israel for "dealing faithlessly" with Him ... or "dealing treacherously" with Him ....
I do not want to deal treacherously or faithlessly with the God, who has suffered under the thumb of His own creation, all then only to offer so great a salvation ... how can one (me) deal treacherously with the One who has manifest Himself to me so greatly, and so obviously?
The good news is that I do belong to the Lord. I am his, for he has made me so, and therefore He is mine! And in that I rejoice, but this doesn't mean its always easy, for in fact, right now it is very hard.
But the promise is still to come: I (God) will return again to my place, until they (me) acknowledge their (his) guilt and seek My face, and in their (his) distress earnestly seek me. Hosea 5:15 ...
Jesus is my Savior, when I feel like He is, and even more so when I feel like, "How on earth could He ever want to save me, to love me and make me his own?" ... because that's the kind of God he is, loving the vilest, most unlovable of all!
I am Israel. Judah is my name. Ephriam.
In Hosea 5:7, the Lord calls out Israel for "dealing faithlessly" with Him ... or "dealing treacherously" with Him ....
I do not want to deal treacherously or faithlessly with the God, who has suffered under the thumb of His own creation, all then only to offer so great a salvation ... how can one (me) deal treacherously with the One who has manifest Himself to me so greatly, and so obviously?
The good news is that I do belong to the Lord. I am his, for he has made me so, and therefore He is mine! And in that I rejoice, but this doesn't mean its always easy, for in fact, right now it is very hard.
But the promise is still to come: I (God) will return again to my place, until they (me) acknowledge their (his) guilt and seek My face, and in their (his) distress earnestly seek me. Hosea 5:15 ...
Jesus is my Savior, when I feel like He is, and even more so when I feel like, "How on earth could He ever want to save me, to love me and make me his own?" ... because that's the kind of God he is, loving the vilest, most unlovable of all!
3.22.2009
Silly Fish
there are some things in life that are just funny, funny in the way that will make you laugh out loud, even if your by yourself.
this morning at 8am, as I was out feeding my fish at the fisheries research station here in Auburn ... and let me say, the fish go nuts when they get food, splashing and leaping all around
so, I got to the end of one of the tanks, to feed the last section ... I tossed the feed in and immediately, and I mean no later than when the first piece of food hit the water, this little fish leaped fast and hard out of the water ... which is not unusual ... but the end of it's leap was unusual ... cause as it leaped, it smashed directly into the side of the tank ... and for the life of me, I just couldn't help but laugh out loud ...
this morning at 8am, as I was out feeding my fish at the fisheries research station here in Auburn ... and let me say, the fish go nuts when they get food, splashing and leaping all around
so, I got to the end of one of the tanks, to feed the last section ... I tossed the feed in and immediately, and I mean no later than when the first piece of food hit the water, this little fish leaped fast and hard out of the water ... which is not unusual ... but the end of it's leap was unusual ... cause as it leaped, it smashed directly into the side of the tank ... and for the life of me, I just couldn't help but laugh out loud ...
3.21.2009
just some rando's
when a heart and soul do not pursue the Lord, there is no over flow - no love, good, or joy to share with others, or with God
i have recently thumbed through a number of post masters options: PhD at Uni. of the Virgin Islands, maybe something in Israel, working for some time at a Nat'l Park, maybe a job, and of course missions!
activities done by oneself are fun ... but for true fun and memories, take along a friend
today was one of the most beautiful days I have seen in a long time ... and I got to play and kayak during it too!
i have recently thumbed through a number of post masters options: PhD at Uni. of the Virgin Islands, maybe something in Israel, working for some time at a Nat'l Park, maybe a job, and of course missions!
activities done by oneself are fun ... but for true fun and memories, take along a friend
today was one of the most beautiful days I have seen in a long time ... and I got to play and kayak during it too!
3.16.2009
A Not Spring Break
Here are my plans:
Go to San Diego.
Scratch that, conference at the University of Florida.
Oh wait scratch that, too expensive.
Solo hiking trip ...
Ah ah ah nope, scratch that too, sick and then rainy.
Well, I guess I will just keep on working ... thesis!
Ah no, scratch that too .. computer is dead, again!
Go to San Diego.
Scratch that, conference at the University of Florida.
Oh wait scratch that, too expensive.
Solo hiking trip ...
Ah ah ah nope, scratch that too, sick and then rainy.
Well, I guess I will just keep on working ... thesis!
Ah no, scratch that too .. computer is dead, again!
3.04.2009
dog + alligator
if you have a dog
go ahead a let him get eaten by an alligator for a really jawesome costume
3.03.2009
remembering your friend ...
I have a friend, Nathan Hoag, who is a seminary student in Dever, CO, recently married and pretty much the man.
And if I said parts of me were not at times envious of him, it wouldn't be true. Let's just say for starters, he lives, works, and PLAYS in Denver! OK ... that sorta thing, but that's not the point.
I just came across his blog, not real sure until now, but I did. I sat and read it for a while, quickly realizing that my friend is a brilliant philosophiser and theologian, godly and full of life, and of love for Julie his wife and Jesus his Savior, and this blesses me so much.
It also makes me miss him and the years of life between freshmen in high school and the post-graduate aged people ... I moved after freshman year of high school, and I am a bad friend, a got even worse in college ... and made no effort to keep up, or hardly one if any. But he did, and I so grateful. I just wish now, I had reciprocated that effort.
Wishin' I could hang with Hoag!
whoa...
as I sat and prayed this morning, during my time with the Lord, it hit me all of sudden ... God, in the form of man, namely Jesus Christ ... the one who set aside His God-inherent right to strike us with the mighty rod of justice of his right hand, and yet instead chose long suffering and patience, and chose the wooing of men's souls with the sweet melodies of his love, his compassion, his grace, and HIMSELF... that this One died for all mankind, for you, my family, my friends, and myself.
That's outrageous!!!
NOW, DON'T read that and think, "Oh, that's a great new insight ... Duh!"
Rather, take it and chew on it, let it marinate in your heart of hearts, and when the reality of it hits you as best you can be hit by it (for we cannot actually comprehend the greatness of this reality), praise the Lord, worship Him - if it be by song, blare out loud your songs to Him, if it be by weeping in uncontrollable joy, weep and flood your secret place with the Lord with grateful tears, and if it be by not being able to contain your excitement, let it all out for all to know, for it is the BEST, the HIGHEST, and the GREATEST news we can ever share!
Soak up and sit under the weighty greatness of that oh so victorious name, the name that is higher and more blessed, the name that is holiest and best among all names, the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Son of Man ... and reflect upon the words of the great hymn ... there's just something about that name, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name ...
Love the Lord, the one who, "though [Jesus] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" ... praise Him a lot!
there is something about that name!
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